


Guarding His Sleep

by Saesama



Series: 28xFirst Kiss Combo [22]
Category: Homestuck
Genre: F/M, Jade ponders consent issues in fairy tales, Prospitcest
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-20
Updated: 2013-10-20
Packaged: 2017-12-29 22:21:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 627
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1010806
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Saesama/pseuds/Saesama
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>You really wish he'd wake up. But until then, you watch over his dreams.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Guarding His Sleep

You grin, carving loop-de-loops in Prospit's black sky. Two carapacian children run in the street below you, shrieking with laughter and you dip low enough to touch their outstretched hands before spiraling up around a gleaming tower. Said tower being John's. It's cooler up here, away from the warmth of the planet and the meager reflection of the moon. Cooler, but not unpleasant. Perfect sleeping weather. Speaking of, you end your last loop at John's window.

He's still asleep. Of course. You wish he'd wake up and fly with you, but nooo, he goes right on snoring. He's starting to thin out a little, starting to lose the baby fat in his cheeks. It's hard to tell, with the way he curls up in tight little knots under the blankets, but you think he might be taller than you now.

You sit on the sill and kick your legs and watch him for a while. You want so very much for him to wake up, and then maybe you could make the long journey to Derse together because you're pretty sure Dave and Rose are there and awake and if you can't see your friends in the waking world, why not see them in your dreams?

But John stays asleep.

You wonder if, maybe, you have to do something. Is John Sleeping Beauty? You don't think you're his True Love (you suspect you might actually be siblings of a sort) but you _are_ a princess. Could you wake him? You prop your chin on your fist and ponder the thought.

He moves.

You sit upright, your heart thudding. Is this it? Nope, he's just wiggling around a little, then his mouth turns down at the corners and he's probably having a bad dream. Maybe a really bad one, because he clutches at his pillow and makes tiny whining noises that sound pretty scared.

You chew on your lip and cross his room to sit at the edge of his bed. You've never gone past his window before and you hesitate before you lay your hand on his hair. It's soft under your fingers, smoother but not different from your own, and you rub a few strands between your fingers.

John starts making those scared noises again and you feel so bad for him. You want to comfort him (and maybe maybe maybe wake him up, maybe) so you lean down and- nope nope nope, stop right there. You pause inches from him, close enough to feel the warmth of his breath across your cheeks. True Love's kiss or a princess's magic kiss or whatnot is always on the lips, but John's first for-realzies-on-the-mouth kiss should be from his girlfriend or his boyfriend or Dave in an ironic dare or something, but something when he's awake. It's not fair to steal that in his sleep.

You wrinkle your nose and mentally agree to a compromise and kiss the corner of his mouth. His skin is smooth and your heart does the same funny little trill you get before you set off exploring new places at home. "Come on, John," you whisper at him, pulling back just enough to see his face. "Wake up, pretty please?"

John's eyebrows scrunch up, then his eyes _actually open_. Just barely, just a sliver, just enough for you to catch a glimpse of brilliant blue before his eyelids drop down again. "Hi, Jade," he mumbles, then he sighs and settles back to sleep with a little smile on his face.

You sit and watch him for over an hour, but he doesn't wake up again and he doesn't have another nightmare. You eventually go back to your own tower and wonder what would have happened, were you brave enough to kiss him properly.


End file.
